Salvin 'excited' for visit of Saracens after 'apprehensive' start as head coach

Steve Salvin’s tenure as the head coach of Exeter Chiefs has started off in the best possible way.

Coming into Round 7 of the 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season Chiefs sit third in the table and welcome second-place Saracens to Sandy Park this weekend.

A headline clash that will be broadcast live on TNT Sports on Saturday afternoon, it is a latest opportunity for Exeter to add to their three wins, two draws and one loss so far this season.

For Saracens’ visit Salvin has made no changes to the starting side that beat Bristol Bears 41-10. It is the first time since the league season began that Salvin has named the same starting XV two weeks running.

“I think as a new head coach, for most games I’ve gone into them pretty apprehensive,” Salvin said. “This week it feels so much more exciting and a bit less about apprehension, because I think this weekend feels so much more exciting. I think we have an opportunity this weekend to make a bit of a statement in terms of where we’re going.

“I would counter that and say so do Saracens, because winning at Sandy Park is a huge challenge for them. My overriding feeling for this weekend is just one of immense excitement.”

The Rouet effect

It was confirmed yesterday that Canada head coach, Kévin Rouet, has joined Saracens as an assistant coach for the season.

A presence in North London since the Women’s Rugby World Cup’s conclusion in September. In that time the 39-year-old Frenchman has revamped the North London club’s attack.

Having worked with Rouet and Canada in the past, Salvin is familiar with some of what Chiefs will contend with on home soil this Saturday afternoon.

“You are really starting to see Kevin’s influence on the way Saracens are playing,” Salvin said. “They’ve got some fantastic Canadian players, and Alex (Austerberry, Saracens’ Director of Rugby) and Kevin have got that relationship now where they’ve both worked together at both international and now club level. There’s suddenly a real identity to the way they’re playing.”

Part of what Salvin expects to see is quick ball from the Londoners in the hope of unleashing their backline. Quick ruck speed has been much to the benefit of scrum-half, Liv Apps, who has been the star in Saracens’ unbeaten past five matches.

Even though Exeter know what to expect in Round 7, stopping a Saracens side in their pomp is an entirely different prospect and is not a task being taken lightly.

“English rugby is generally relatively structured in comparison to some other parts of the world,” Salvin said. “Kev’s French and Kev’s philosophy is very French and what the French are brilliant at is playing unstructured rugby. At this point in time, they’re probably the team that above anyone else in the competition are doing it better than anyone else.

“It’s really difficult to stop. You can be aware of it, and you can work on how to go about stopping it, but it’s still incredibly challenging. Particularly with the calibre of player that Saracens have. But I think the good bit from our perspective as well is that we are seeing is evolution in terms of our attack as well.

 

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“As much as we are aware in terms of how Saracens play, I don’t necessarily see this again a case of the game being Exeter’s defence against Saracen’s attack. I think it’s much broader than that. Both teams have ability to build pressure on opponents.

“The other bit we haven’t touched on is a set-piece. That’s going to be huge this weekend. I think whoever gets the upper hand there, that could play a significant role in terms of the outcome of the game.”

Staying ahead

Any clash between two teams contending at the top of a competition draws eyes. This weekend is no different and whatever the end result, Exeter’s resurgence will not be undone.

So far this season Chiefs have combined the new attack installed by Oli Bishop with a mature defence. Having missed out on last season’s play-offs by just two points, the foundations have certainly been laid for another shot at glory in 2025/26.

Already Maisy Allen has emerged as PWR’s form player, while the likes of Liv McGoverne, Hope Rogers and Emily Robinson have all enjoyed bright starts too.

But while Salvin admits that he is pleased with the progression that the team has made, there is only ever room to improve.

“I would describe it as, probably, satisfactory in terms of where we are,” Salvin said. “We’re pretty content. We’d have probably taken this position because, being frank, we had no idea what it was going to look like.

“There was a lot to do when I came into the post. There’s a lot gone on since that point. There’s been some challenges and some hugely positive things. I think taking all those things into account, we’re reasonably happy. But as soon as you fall into the trap of going ‘this is what we want to be’, you run the risk of people starting to go past you.”